Important:
If your country of citizenship is currently under full or partial travel restrictions, please be aware that U.S. visa appointments may not be available. Unless you already hold a valid visa to travel to U.S.A. or are currently in U.S.A. with an active I-20, the travel restrictions could delay your ability to join NMSU. We recommend waiting to apply until restrictions are removed.
Full restrictions:
Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Palestinian Authority Travel Documents*, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
Partial restrictions:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga,, Turkmenistan**, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
* Individuals traveling on travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are subject to a full ban that suspends "entry into the United States" as "immigrants and non-immigrants.
** Turkmenistan is the sole exception to this general partial ban rule. Entry by nationals of Turkmenistan is suspended only for immigrants, but not for any class of non-immigrants.
Step 1: Visit the Academic Graduate Program Website
Learn about about the various Graduate Programs. Identify the graduate coordinator and their contact information.
Please ensure you have chosen a specific degree program for your graduate study with NMSU; international students are not able to attend as Undeclared, Non-Degree-seeking, or be admitted to Graduate Certificate only, or initially to Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.
Step 2: Mark Application Deadlines
For International Students:
The default application deadline for the Fall semester is June 1 or as specified by Departments, whichever is earlier. For the Spring semester, it is October 1 for the main campus programs and November 27 for Global programs, or an earlier date as indicated by the department. These deadlines are mainly for international students from countries other than Canada and Mexico.
While the deadlines are indicated above, submitting all materials ahead of the deadline is strongly recommended to allow for visa appointments to be made on time for international students coming from select countries where visa appointments have long wait time.
Please visit the Graduate Programs page to see the international deadlines for each program. As separate departments may have different deadlines, please ensure that you apply by the specific graduate program’s deadline date. The Graduate School cannot guarantee that an application will be processed if received after the deadline.
For Domestic Students:
Deadlines vary by the Department. Please visit the Graduate Programs and Departmental website to learn more.
Step 3: Know the Admission Process
Please visit the admissions page for information regarding the application review process. The Graduate School generally offers admission to international students for Fall and Spring semesters only. See academic departments for programs that enroll students in the summer.
Step 4: Check Eligibility
Learn about English proficiency requirements and Transcript Requirements.
Step 5: Apply and get Admitted
The graduate application includes both the institution’s application and the graduate program supplement.
Step 6: Collect the I-20
Find out the I-20 process and requirements. For questions about the I-20 process, please contact International Student and Scholar Services.
Step 7: Apply for a Student Visa
You must get a student visa to study in the U.S. See the checklist and timeline.
Step 8: Enter the U.S.
Get your plate ticket, passport, student visa, and other documents.
Step 9: Prepare for Life at NMSU
Know about many other tips such as nearby hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, transportation, health insurance, orientation, and course registration. Also, plan about getting the Social Security Number.
